The Early Years
by Shinjai
Summary: What happened to the younger pre-second Impact Generation in the first few years after Second Impact? Second Chapter up. Please R
1. She who hides her scars

The Early Years  
  
8 Years have passed since the horror of Second Impact. Misato Katsuragi, sole survivor of the ill-fated Katsuragi expedition team has seemingly overcome the psychological scars she had endured and is now attending college. Unbeknownst to her, someone has an interest in insuring her well- being..  
  
Osaka College, 2008  
  
Misato was positively bored. She had just spent 2 hours listening to a lecture on the intricacies of theoretical biomechanical limbs. ~Arghh.. If Ritsuko hadn't been doing 80% of my assignments I wouldn't have gone through that. Then again she's never left the school grounds for more than an hour before~  
  
"At least I didn't have to take notes, but sitting there guarding my tape recorder was the most boring event in my life so far!!!"  
  
"Really? Even more than that time you got stuck for 3 hours in the lecture hall elevator with the Headmistress of the Dorm?" Ritsuko whispered in Misato's ear.  
  
"What!!! Don't do that Ritsuko!!! You scared half the life outta me!! And for your information that was the worst, not the most boring, experience of my life!!" Misato replied in a shout.  
  
"You are so easy to tease, you know that?"  
  
"Well whatever, at least I don't have any trouble finding boyfriends. You, Rits, have got to get laid one of these days."  
  
"All the males on campus are pathetic hormone-driven sex fiends!!!! It's no wonder you have no trouble getting laid."  
  
Misato simply hmmphed and threw the tape of the lecture at Ritsuko and grabbed a beer before disappearing behind the curtain to her alcove. ~How on earth does she keep getting the last word, it's bloody annoying!!! ~  
  
Little did either of the room-mates know that their every move was being watched and every word listened to.  
  
"Well, Miss Katsuragi certainly has a nice attitude, I guess this is going to be interesting for me." A rather roguish-looking, unshaven man said to himself.  
  
  
  
The Next Day  
  
Heavy rain was pouring down all over Osaka. A rather sodden Misato was drudging along carrying a plastic bag full of beer and condiments, continually swearing in a combination of her native Japanese and her 2 other languages, English and German.  
  
"God damned weather!!! Why did it have to rain the day I had to go buy beer?" Misato whined to the sky as she slogged along.  
  
"Well, maybe you would like a ride?" A male voice suggested from one of the passing cars.  
  
Misato turned around and felt light-headed. The voice had belonged to a roguishly handsome man leaning his head out of his car. He was unshaven but it seemed to enhance his roguish looks.  
  
"Thanks, this weather is crazy!!!"  
  
"Anything for a beautiful lady like you."  
  
Misato then belatedly realized that her clothes were sticking to her skin, leaving very little to the imagination of anyone looking. Then she looked up and saw that the man was discreetly looking at her as he drove in the direction of the college.  
  
"How did you know I wanted to go to the college?"  
  
" I've seen you going to and fro from the college often you know, if you're going to buy beer you should be a little more discreet."  
  
" And as if you know anything about being discreet?" Misato challenged, "I could clearly see you were looking at me just then!!"  
  
"And did you think I didn't notice you checking me out? And for your information I know that your full name is Misato Katsuragi and that you have a liver that would give a Scotsman an inferiority complex." The man said as he let Misato out of the car.  
  
"If you're going to insult me at least let me know your name!" Misato shouted as the man drove off.  
  
"If we meet again maybe I will tell you." he said, his voice fading as the car moved further and further away.  
  
"What a nerve!!! I tell you Rits, that has got to be the rudest and indiscreet male I have ever met!!! The sheer nerve!!!" Misato said for the 50th time to Ritsuko who was getting thoroughly sick of it.  
  
"Or is it that you have finally met a man who doesn't instantly chase after you blindly?"  
  
With a shriek of frustration, Misato walked out fuming. ~She did it again!!! Damn it one of these days I'll get the last word!!!~ 


	2. They who cannot forget

My apologies on the delay in getting this chapter done. Many thanks to Synaid and Sky Firebane for reminding me to get it done. Hope you like it, Please Review, flame, whatever. All will be taken in.  
  
Chapter 2  
  
The very next day  
  
Misato was furious. Pissed off, generally ready to kill the first person that interfered with her sodden journey back to the dorm with yet again another plastic bag full of beer and snack foods. And then, the person that runs across her path is the one she feels like killing the most.  
  
"Well, Miss Katsuragi, this is becoming quite a habit, eh?"  
  
"Why you, I cannot believe the nerve you have to" Misato started before Kaji cut her off.  
  
"And I see you are still brazenly sticking to your habits I see. Well you can't blame a well meaning male to try and help."  
  
"Well-meaning male my butt!!! You are nothing more than a pervert!!!"  
  
"Well it is a nice set of buttocks you have there so I might take that deal."  
  
"Why you, good for nothing piece of"  
  
"Unless you would prefer to walk in the rain for another 2 kilometres, I suggest you accept my offer and get in." The man said with a hint of exasperation and seriousness.  
  
Misato blinked with surprise at the man's tone and got in without any more argument. After a few minutes of silence as the man drove and arrived in front of Misato's dorm, Misato spoke again.  
  
"The last time we met, you gave a shaky promise to tell me your name. I hope you are as good as your word."  
  
"I can't have anyone saying that I don't live up to my words. My name is Ryougi Kaji, or just Kaji to my friends."  
  
"Finally!!! I have your name!!!" Misato crowed in triumph.  
  
"But that's all you get. The rest you have to find out for yourself." Kaji said as he got back into the driver's seat. Misato could only stare incredulously in disbelief as he drove away. -If that's what it takes I will get the best of you Kaji! - Thought Misato, as she went into her room, looking in her contact book for the telephone number of an old family friend that owned a private investigation firm.  
  
Kaji, who had naturally attached a listening device to the phone a month earlier, wasn't particularly worried about Misato finding anything bad about him. While his original intention had been to find information on Second Impact, he found his aims changing. He was motivated to find out as much as possible about Second Impact because his best friend had been on the Katsuragi research expedition and consequently died during second impact. He wanted to know what really killed him and he certainly didn't believe the bullshit cover up story the government had thought up. But now.Misato was also a remarkably beautiful woman and Kaji suspected strongly that the drinking and sarcastic manner hid something and Kaji strongly suspected it was her past, including what Second Impact really was. As he gathered more information on her, he became more determined to get to known her on a personal level.  
  
Misato hurried back to her dorm room after an evening lecture on history, hoping she hadn't missed the call from her friend about his findings on Mr Kaji. A week had passed and he had promised to get something to her in a week in the phone call. Unfortunately she had missed the call and the recording machine had an Internet address on it, which she promptly found and accessed on her room's computer. A voice file began to play.  
  
"Misato, I found the info you wanted, Mr Kaji seems a normal person. Born on 1 July 1985, in Old Tokyo, attended and graduated from a local high school, currently enrolled in Osaka College in a computer systems course. No siblings, parents died in 1999, relatively well-off inheritance. No police records, a handful of speeding tickets and he doesn't appear to be alcoholic or a smoker. I wasn't allowed to make copies of the records. I hope you do well in you studies, love, Uncle Tsubasa." Misato smiled at the voice but inwardly berated herself. - What was I expecting? That he was some criminal? - Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Misato walked over to the mini fridge hidden under her bed behind some dirty clothes and took out a beer, once again beginning the process drinking herself into a catatonic state. -Daddy, why did you have to leave me like this? Why do you torment me? -  
  
Meanwhile Ritsuko is studying her notes, quietly resenting every reference to her mother. She hated being in her mother's shadow and tried to establish herself as a separate person, but everything she did seemed to be following her. Her interest in computers, her looks and her actions, everyone referred to her as Naoko Akagi's daughter. She had even dyed her hair blond to distance herself from her mother. Sighing as her thoughts wandered, Ritsuko tried concentrating on the notes. But her thoughts strayed to Misato and her mind was confused. Misato had been practically the only person in the college who hadn't done a double take at the name of Akagi, and naturally became her only friend. Ritsuko had found out parts her friend's past, but not enough to explain her crying in her sleep, except when she was drunk. Ritsuko didn't want to know the full extent of Misato's past; she had enough to deal with. She wondered who was getting more out of the friendship. Sighing in exasperation at her lack of concentration, Ritsuko got another cup of coffee and looked out the window at the sky, seeing a star flare and die.  
  
At the same time, in different parts of the world four 8-year old children wake suddenly from their beds and see the same sight through their windows. They all have no idea what it means or how intricately their fates are bound together. Nor did they know how it forecast their future in such deceptively simple terms.  
  
  
  
Well there you have it. Conjecture on who the fourth child is welcome. And no, it isn't Touji. Next chapter within a month hopefully. 


End file.
